New wave of arrests in Eritrea reported

Yesterday, the following report was released by the organization In Chains For Christ regarding reported arrests in Eritrea:

Press Release.
ICFC/1015/09
Monday, 7 December 2009

New Wave of Arrest in Eritrea

ICFC has learned from sources in Asmara that the government of Eritrea has of late unleashed another wave of arrests against Christians. On Saturday, December 5, 2009 at 4:00pm, one group of thirty women were rounded up in Asmara by security agents and hauled off to prison.

Multiple sources confirm that the women were mostly elderly and were praying together when they were arrested. Most of the women were believers of Faith Mission, an Evangelical Church with a Methodist background. The denomination has been in existence since the early 1950s. Until it was closed down along with many other churches in May 2002, it operated orphanages and several schools throughout Eritrea.

The Eritrean government is known for its policy of religious repression. As a consequence, the US State Department has designated the Marxist nation as one of eight Countries of Particular Concern' (CPC). At the moment, the United Nations is considering sanctions against it.

ICFC once again calls on the government of Eritrea that these and the thousands of other Eritreans who are languishing in prison for their faith be immediately released.

D. Amine,
Communications Directory, ICFC

"Remember those who are in prison, as if you were their fellow prisoner. Remember those who are suffering as if you were suffering with them..." (Heb. 13:3).
www.InChainsForChrist.org
(Voice of the Persecuted Church in Eritrea)

As far as we're concerned, this report remains unconfirmed, as we have yet to find additional sources on the situation. However, we will certainly continue to monitor the story and watch for any further details.

The Voice of the Martyrs has a special petition available, "Eritrea: A Time to Act," that is designed to press Eritrean authorities to take action to stop the brutal harassment of Christians in the country. If you are a newsletter subscriber who received one in September, then there's still time to fill it out and mail it to our office by the December 31 deadline. You can also download a printable pdf of the petition from our website. Ask your friends, family members, and colleagues to sign it today, as the deadline is fast approaching.